Nicktoons Reborn Part 1: The Fall of the Nicktoons
by E350
Summary: It has been months since the Warlord was beaten, and things have never been better for the Nicktoons. But when a mysterious agency called Majestic-12 arrives, the group finds themselves thrown into a secret battle that threatens to tear them apart. Rated for safety. Sequel to 'Destiny'. SB/SC, possible Timmy/Dani. Crossover with Invader Zim and [REDACTED].
1. Prologue

Something something end of the world.

I understand that some of you probably will guess the mystery third crossover while reading this. I ask you not to reveal it in the comments, as I want to keep it a surprise for those who don't, as well as upholding suspense for those who do not know about the third thing I'm crossing over here. Thank you.

* * *

**Prologue**

_As per our recent conversation on this matter _[Roswell]_, you are hereby authorised to proceed with all due speed and caution upon your undertaking. Hereafter this matter shall be referred to only as __**Operation Majestic Twelve**__._

_\- President Harry S Truman; memo to SECDEF James V. Forrestal, September 24 1947_

_The road to hell is paved with good intentions._

_\- Proverb._

* * *

The beginning of the end of the world began one perfectly ordinary July evening, and passed by unnoticed by the vast majority of the Earth's people.

Like most disasters, it began with the very best of intentions – but shadowy forces were at large, determined to twist a simple quest for reunion and forgiveness into a grand, terrible climax to a long game. Men and women of twisted intellect worked as pawns for forces beyond mortal understanding; each fighting a secret war for control of the human race.

It was a long and complex story, one that stretched back into the mists of time. But it is not my story. _My_ story is far simpler. _My_ story is a tale of betrayal, a story of conspiracy, and most of all a story of heartache. It is a story about how a small, idealistic team crumbled and fell.

My story begins on that July evening, in a mansion in the richer quarter of Amity Park, Illinois. I know it's a cliché to say so, but it was a dark and stormy night...

* * *

Vlad Masters sat at his desk in his study, looking over a taxation bill that was to be debated the following day in the city council. Outside, rain pattered against his window, and the soft distant sound of thunder provided ambiance to his dreary task.

"...which would therefore lead to revenue increase of two point blah blah blah percent, yadda yadda," sighed Vlad, "Can somebody tell me why I didn't delegate this? Ugh!"

Life had been pretty dull for the Mayor over the past months. Repairs were still underway after the battle with the Warlord – most of the Government's resources were being sent to Manhattan rather than Amity Park – and the failure of the ghost portals had brought ectoplasmic activity in the city down by fifty percent. Both Danny and his parents now resided in the Ghost Zone, which gave him an annoying lack of adversaries. Even his work on the Syndicate hadn't been that stimulating – despite getting Queen Vexus on board, opportunities to get things done were few and far between.

It was all so very boring.

Suddenly, Vlad's thoughts were interrupted by a faint tapping on his desk.

A small meter sitting on his desk was starting to rattle, the needle vibrating rapidly. Vlad's eyes widened.

"It's time," he breathed.

He leapt out of his chair, racing out the door of his study and down the hall. He tore his phone from his suit pocket and speed-dialled a number.

"Professor, this is Plasmius," he said, "It's happening."

He darted down a stairwell and onto the ground floor, shooting off down another corridor.

"You know what I'm talking about!" shouted Vlad, "It's _time,_ Professor! The old man finally done it! If you don't believe me, check Channel Zero-Fifteen! They'll be noticing any second now!"

He shoved a bookcase aside, revealing a tunnel descending down into darkness. A faint blue light could be seen blinking at the bottom.

"How long?" said Vlad, "Probably forty-five seconds now. I'm heading into the lab. Did you put zero-fifteen...thank you."

A third voice could now be heard on the phone as Vlad raced down the tunnel.

"_...pursuing suspect southbound, requesting backup, over..._"

Vlad turned a corner at the end of the tunnel, entering a laboratory. His ghost portal, dormant since the Warlord incident, was powering up – the swirling vortex inside was blue. As he stepped into the lab, he felt the gravity becoming distinctly lighter – lab equipment on tables was beginning to float upwards.

The radio channel suddenly erupted into panic.

"_Holy mother of...this is eleven-king, something is happening, we have a class five event in progress! I repeat, class five..._"

Vlad smirked as he listened to the Professor's reply.

"Of course the Feds are panicking, Professor, they don't understand what's happening," he replied, watching the vortex get bigger and bigger, "But we do."

His expression darkened as the Professor replied.

"We'll cross MJ-12's bridge later," he said, "Don't worry about it."

The portal began to roar. Vlad smiled and raised his wrist, fiddling with his watch. He scarcely seemed to notice his feet lifting off the ground.

"Set your watch, Professor," he said, "It's zero hour."

The portal began to turn white, the light becoming brighter and brighter.

"Everything is about to change," said Vlad.

There was a thunderous screech and everything went white.

* * *

"_...is Jonah Thompson, CIA Temporal Division. Anybody mind telling me what just happened?_"

"_This is R.E.R.E., Major Richardson speaking. Can't tell you anything, mate. Colonel's being pretty coy about this._"

"_Understood. Has anybody checked with Coulson? Might wanna get SHIELD in on this. Also, maybe we could call in the GIW or MERF? I know they're useless, but any hands we can get..._"

Agent Lima sneered as he turned off his surveillance of the Unified Intelligence Network.

The UIN had been created in the aftermath of the Warlord incident – the idea was to a unified response in place in case of another such attack. It included all of the major 'secret' agencies – the CIA, the FBI, R.E.R.E., SHEILD, UNIT, everything.

Everything except one. That one being Majestic-12.

Agent Lima whistled as he got up from his desk in the dark, cold room, leaning over and opening the top drawer of the desk. He grabbed a file and took it out.

"Looks like it's time," he said to himself, "I've waited too long for this. What a glorious day."

He lifted up the folder, taking it in.

It was entitled 'NICKTOONS', and a stamp of red text in the centre of the folder declared 'Dismantlement Procedure.'

* * *

And so it was that the fall of the Nicktoons began.

* * *

AN: What are you up to, Masters...


	2. Chapter One: The Prophecy

Just a heads up to followers of the NU fics who haven't read _Forever Autumn_, I am now replying to non-guest reviews via PM. Now lets get to work!

* * *

**Chapter One: The Prophecy  
**

_Dimmsdale, California_

"...so you used a _magic page_ to turn into _superheroes_."

"Uh-huh."

"Spongebob, now I _know_ you're making this up."

Timmy chuckled to himself as he walked up the road to his school, flanked on either side by Jimmy Neutron and Spongebob Squarepants. The latter was informing his friends about a recent adventure – one that, even in the context of their lives, was quite bizarre.

The group had changed a little since the Warlord had been vanquished. Danny Fenton had left, rising to his obligation as king of the Ghost Zone. He had been replaced by his younger cousin and clone Danielle, and the robot Jenny Wakeman had joined the team as a fifth member. Their enemies had changed as well – it seemed the Syndicate were less and less of a threat lately, and they found themselves dealing more and more with smaller criminals; the likes of Technus and Dr. Moist, to name a few. Even the Warlord's last follower, Napoleon, had been quiet lately.

The group stayed on guard, of course – 'the calm before the storm' and all – but they had to admit, the respite was welcoming.

"It did happen, Neutron," interrupted Timmy, "I know, Dani and I tried to get hold of him while it was happening..."

* * *

_Four days earlier, Timmy and Dani were sitting in the former's bedroom, playing Monopoly with Cosmo and Wanda._

_"__Well, we've still got one more piece Cosmo hasn't lost," said Timmy, holding up the battleship, "Wanna see if Spongebob wants to play?"_

_"__Sure, let's grab him," nodded Dani, pulling out her recaller._

_She opened a portal to Bikini Bottom, only to find herself looking over an apocalyptic wasteland. A fish sprinted into view in front of him, clad only in a leather codpiece._

_"__I WILL BECOME THE CHOCOLATE LORD!" he screamed, "THE CHOOOCOLATE LOOOOOORD!"_

_"__...or maybe not," said Dani, hurriedly closing the portal._

* * *

"Heads up for next time, Spongebob," said Timmy, crossing his arms, "Just let us know your world is ending. We can help."

"I'll keep that in mind," nodded Spongebob.

The three rounded a corner onto the street which Dimmsdale Elementary stood on. Timmy sighed.

"Okay, remind me again why I have to go to school today and you don't."

"Carl caused a gas leak," shrugged Jimmy, "And by caused, I mean _was_."

"Okay, TMI," nodded Timmy.

"Hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth, Turner," replied Jimmy, shrugging.

They walked onto the front grounds of the school. Classes had not yet started, and a variety of kids were hanging around on the grass. Timmy began to walk over to Chester and AJ, who were sitting under a tree, the latter reading a science textbook.

"Well," he said, "I'll see you guys later. Call me if you need..."

"_THE END IS NIGH!_"

All eyes fell on the doors to the school.

Veronica Star stood on the front steps, her hair dishevelled and her eyes wild and lined by bags. She clutched her hair, grinding her teeth as she looked down on her schoolmates.

"...ho boy," sighed Timmy.

"The pieces have fallen into place!" ranted Veronica, "The world is coming to close! The legacy of Philadelphia, the end of _centuries_ of waiting, it's _coming!_ _I'VE SEEN IT!_"

"...if she starts yelling about Sandwich Gods, I'm going home," said Spongebob.

Veronica leapt down the steps, striding down the path as a crowd gathered around her.

"I've seen it, people!" she repeated, "I've seen the sky turn _red _like fire, and buildings torn from their foundations! I've seen people thrown into the air like ragdolls – great flashes of light, the floodgates _opened!_ I've seen the coming calamity, people; the monsters, the aliens, the dark and vicious men in black! _War_ is coming! _Destruction_ is coming!"

She grabbed Sanjay by the shoulders and shook him violently.

"_It's the end of the world as we know it!_" she screamed.

"And I feel fine," added Timmy, dryly.

"Oh, calm down," snapped Jimmy, "The world is not ending, get a hold of yourself..."

Veronica jumped, turning to face the three Nicktoons (and shoving Sanjay out of the way). Her eyes bulged.

"_You_," she breathed, "The agent! _The agent has come!_"

"Well, yeah, I work for BTSO sometimes, but I'd hardly say..." said Jimmy.

"_You can't have my form!_" screeched Veronica, "_You can't have my mind! You can't have my sweetbreads! YOU CAN'T HAVE ME!"_

She screamed and ran away down the street.

There was a long silence.

"Okay then," nodded Chester, "She's finally lost it."

"I don't know her," muttered Trixie, stepping out of the crowd.

The crowd dispersed with her, leaving Timmy, Jimmy and Spongebob alone.

"Well, that's one way to start the day," shrugged Timmy.

"What if she's right?" asked Spongebob, "What if the world really_ is _ending?"

"Spongebob, what she just said is tinfoil-hat stuff," scoffed Jimmy, "The world _isn't_ ending, it's just a crazed rant from a frankly unstable individual. Let's just forget about it and..."

"_Jimmy, are you there?_"

Jimmy reached into his pocket, answering his Recaller.

"Jenny, what's the problem?"

"_Man Ray's been sighted in Tremorton – no idea _how_, but he's trying to rob a bank,_" said Jenny.

"Copy, we'll be right there," nodded Jimmy.

He pressed a button on his recaller, opening a portal to Tremorton.

"Sorry, Timmy," said Jimmy, "We gotta head out."

"Gotcha, Jim," nodded Timmy, "Call me if you want backup?"

"Against _Man Ray?_" replied Jimmy, "Yeah right. Catch you later, Timmy."

"Bye Timmy!" said Spongebob, waving as he followed Jimmy into the portal. It closed behind them, and Timmy was left alone.

"Hah," scoffed Timmy, "End of the world. Yeah right! That's just Crocker-level crazy. Next she'll tell me I'm being _watched_..."

He strode away, chuckling to himself.

High up on the roof of the building, a camera tracked his movements.

* * *

Dib Membrane sat at his desk in his poorly lit room, studying the laptop intently. He was reading dispatches from global intelligence organisations that he had received from the Swollen Eyeball Network – a secret organisation of conspiracy theorists and paranormal investigators.

"I don't understand," he said to himself, "Whatever's happening, it's got everyone terrified. Why are they so afraid of..."

He shook his head.

"Never mind," he continued, "I've got bigger plans. SEN's trusting me with something for once, and I'm not gonna mess it up! What's Majestic up to..."

"Ah, son!"

The door burst open and Professor Membrane leaned in.

"Son, there are a few things I need to deal with out of town," he explained, "_Science_ things, I assure you! Don't burn the house down while I'm gone!"

"Don't worry, dad, I'll be fine," replied Dib.

"Stay out of trouble, and try not be too _insane_," added Membrane, "I'll see you in a few days...maybe...we'll see...bye!"

He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Dib sighed heavily.

"Set the house on fire _one time_..." he muttered, "Ah well, this gives me an opening."

He opened a new window on his laptop.

"So, you're the guys Majestic wants," he said, "Interesting...looks like I'm going to Dimmsdale."

* * *

AN: The Dib-Stink is now involved!


	3. Chapter Two: Agent Lima

Sorry, this really shouldn't have taken as long as it did.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Agent Lima**

School had been as good as it always was – which meant it was fundamentally awful and educationally worthless, but at least nothing had been set on fire. But now the day had come to an end, and Timmy was walking home with his friends. It was a beautiful afternoon, and he hummed to himself as Chester and AJ argued about who would win in a fight between the Crimson Chin and Crash Nebula.

Eventually they reached an intersection. The light was red, so Timmy stopped and turned around.

"Mind if I butt in?" he asked.

He continued before Chester and AJ could reply.

"So how about that 'end of the world' meltdown?" he asked.

"I know, right?" chuckled Chester, "Veronica's finally lost it. I mean, people getting thrown into the air or something? What's that even supposed to mean."

"She could be onto something," mused AJ, "It's not like we haven't dealt with aliens and monsters attacking this place before..."

"Yeah, but _men in black?_" sniffed Timmy, "Ridiculous!"

"Agent Dorian Fletcher," reminded AJ curtly.

Timmy's grin faltered for the briefest of moments.

"He was different," he replied, "He was a CIA agent. That's hardly a shady top-secret MiB sort of thing."

"He wore a black suit, he worked for the government..." began AJ.

"...and he's _dead_," replied Timmy firmly, "What else is there? MERF are incompetent, the GiW wear _white_, SHIELD fell apart – face it, AJ, there's no-one else who could possibly fit that description. Come on, we faced the end of the world, we kicked it's butt. We're gonna be _fine._"

"And if we're not?" asked AJ.

"What do you think's gonna happen?!" demanded Timmy, "You think some kind of agent is just gonna start abducting us off the streets?"

Quite suddenly, a black limousine skidded to a halt on the curb. The door flew open and a hand flung out, grabbing Timmy's collar and yanking him inside. The door slammed and the limo sped off.

Chester and AJ stared down the road as it disappeared into the distance.

"...okay, _that_ was odd," breathed Chester.

"Doomsday prep time?" asked AJ.

"Doomsday prep time," nodded Chester.

* * *

Dib was headed for the front door, his backpack filled with enough supplies to last about a week on the road. He strode through the kitchen, attracting the attention of his dour sister, Gaz, who was knelt over her GameSlave, as always.

"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.

"Swollen Eyeball!" shouted Dib, "Tear between universes, aliens, gravity going..."

He stammered a little, then made an exaggerated upwards movement with his arms while making a 'fwoop' noise.

"Shady government people," continued Dib, "Need to save world! Keep eye on Zim for me! 'Kay bye!"

He ran towards the front door.

_Wait a minute_.

He skidded to a halt.

"Wait, since when do you care where I'm going?" he asked.

"I _don't_," replied Gaz, "The less time you're here to annoy me, the better."

"...alright," nodded Dib, slightly suspiciously, "Bye then."

He walked out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Gaz raised an eyebrow. Then she did the unthinkable. She _paused her game_.

Getting to her feet, she walked over to the phone and quickly dialled a number.

"_Agent Bravo._"

"He's on the move," said Gaz.

There was a long pause.

"_Good._"

* * *

Timmy had found himself in an admittedly comfortable seat – right between Jimmy and Dani in fact. The three (along with Spongebob and Jenny, who were sat in seats along the side) were seated across from a dour-faced, brown-haired man in a black suit and tie – his slightly freckled skin seemed a little _too_ pale, and Timmy couldn't see any evidence of his eyes behind his dark shades. He very much fit the description of the archetypal 'man in black.'

"Who are you?" demanded Timmy, "Why are we here."

"Don't worry, Timmy, he's gonna..." began Jimmy.

"Agent Lima, Majestic-12," said Lima, "We have a job for you."

"Majestic-what?" asked Timmy.

"Majestic-12," replied Jimmy, a grin crossing his face, "A top-secret US Government agency that researches alien life on Earth. I always thought they were a myth...but-but they're real and they want our help and..."

"Jimmy, are you _fangirling?_" asked Dani.

"I'm not _fangirling_," sniffed Jimmy, "I'm..."

"Mr. Neutron, please stop fangirling, we have business to discuss," interrupted Lima.

Jimmy pouted slightly and crossed his arms.

"We've been watching you for some time," said Lima, "Your altercations with Romulus and the Warlord greatly impressed us. We'd like to know if you want to go beyond."

"Beyond?" repeated Jenny, tilting her head, "How do you go beyond the _apocalypse?_"

"There are things happening as we speak that would turn your hair grey," replied Lima, "People are working in the darkness to end mankind and bring about..."

"...world domination, been there, done that," interrupted Dani.

"Not world domination," replied Lima, "_Worse_. These people aim for nothing less than the catastrophic destruction of society as we know it. They can't be reasoned with, they can't be dealt..."

"Yeah, I saw that one," said Timmy, "Something something world burn, how is that different to anything else we've dealt with?"

"Turner," hissed Jimmy, "Let him finish."

"There is a person, or something that can be roughly called a person," said Lima, "A person more powerful than even the Warlord. A person who cannot be reasoned with and cannot be destroyed. A person who has influenced humanity for millennia."

There was a long silence.

"Don't tell me the Man in the White Suit is back," groaned Jimmy.

"Or it could be Remus," shrugged Dani, "We still haven't worked out what Atkinson meant by..."

"It's neither," replied Lima, "His name is classified at the highest level. We can give you the name of one of his known followers – Vlad Masters."

There was a long silence.

"We believe the Syndicate is working for an enemy of the state," said Lima, "They are finding something for him, and if they are successful it will mean the end of life as we know it. You know their weaknesses, so we need you to stop them."

He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out an envelope.

"This is a shipping manifest we took from the post office in Amity Park," he explained, "It states that Vlad Masters received a shipment this morning – the contents of the package were not listed, but the return address was marked with the name of a very high-ranking agent of his adversary. We need you to take the package."

"And report back when we know what it is?" asked Jimmy.

"You catch on quickly, Mr. Neutron," nodded Lima, "Act tonight – intel suggests that Masters is leaving town tomorrow for a meeting on the West Coast. Tell no-one about us or your mission. Good luck."

He tapped the tinted window that separated them from the driver. The silhouette behind it nodded and the limo pulled over.

"Any questions?"

"Why should we listen to-" began Timmy.

"We're all aboard, Agent Lima!" said Jimmy enthusiastically, "You can count on us."

He opened the door and jumped out. The rest of the Nicktoons followed him, keen to get away from the strange government agent.

For a second, Timmy looked back – he could have sworn that he'd seen Lima smirk at him. Then the door slammed and the limo sped away, leaving them in a field outside town.

"...and he dumped us in the wilderness," grunted Timmy, "I like him already."

"Anyone else find that guy a bit..._creepy?_" asked Spongebob.

"Don't worry about it," beamed Jimmy, "Heck, Dealing with Majestic-12 could be our big break, guys!"

"I'm not sure I trust them, Jim," muttered Timmy warily.

"Oh, come on!" scoffed Jimmy, "They're government, Turner, they're on our side!"

"Fletcher was on our side," replied Timmy, "_These_ guys...I dunno, whatever you say, Jim."

"Great!" exclaimed Jimmy, rubbing his hands together, "Let's get back to the lab – I've got a mission to plan!"

* * *

Agent Lima leant back in his chair and activated his earpiece.

"Bravo," he said, "Any word from our dear friend Gazlene?"

"_The boy is on his way to Dimmsdale_," replied Bravo, "_We'll be moving our people on the ground up north. They'll act as a welcoming committee if the grab goes wrong._"

"Excellent," nodded Lima, "I'll close the net. I'll see you at Mike Sierra tomorrow."

He deactivated his earpiece and smirked again.

"Showtime," he muttered.

* * *

AN: GUYS I THINK LIMA MIGHT NOT BE TRUSTWORTHY


	4. Chapter Three: Breaking and Entering

Fall of the Nicktoons! The only things that update with less frequency are glacial drift and _Over the Hills and Far Away_!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Breaking and Entering**

Amity Park City Hall was a lot better secured than it had been before the Warlord's invasion. Armed guards from the Guys in White patrolled the perimeter – a utility vehicle was parked outside the front steps. The local GiW commander – Operative X – was adamant that nobody, human or ghost, would ever be able to break in.

He'd forgotten to put anyone on the roof.

The Majestic agent that met the Nicktoons on the roof was a short woman in her thirties, her black hair styled in a bob that echoed the hairdos of old 1950s B-movies, but her face was the epitome of serious. She crossed her arms and stared harshly at the group through her shades.

"Well, you're inviting," grunted Timmy.

"Save me the lip, Mr. Turner," snapped the woman, "We've got business to attend to."

She pointed to a roof access point just behind her.

"In there," she said, "There's vent access to the entire building. We need you to find Masters' shipment and work out where his meeting is taking place. I don't care how you do it, but get it done. Mr. Neutron, meet me outside Casper High when you're done."

"We'll get it done, Agent Epsilon," said Jimmy, nodding.

"You'd better," replied Epsilon, "A lot's riding on this."

"Isn't it always?" shrugged Dani, "Come on, let's do this."

The group walked towards the roof access point. As they did so, Timmy could not shake the feeling that something was going terribly wrong.

* * *

Something was going terribly wrong.

Dib could feel it as he sat in the back of the bus – a deep sense of wrongness in the world around him. It were as if he was waiting for an unspeakably gigantic catastrophe, powerless to do anything as it slowly approached...

He opened his laptop for the umpteenth time, quickly tying a message into SEN's message system.

_What do I do when I get there?_

The reply from Darkbootie came very quickly.

_500y NE Dimmsdale Flatts. Bug Catcher Div cache. Password 'CHR0N0MANC3R'._

Dib nodded, closing the laptop and looking out the window. The desert passed by outside, quiet, desolate and eternal.

* * *

Vlad Masters sat at his desk, his arms crossed as he waited. The door to his office was locked and the security cameras were shut down.

"Where is she?" he sighed to himself.

He didn't hear the slight rattle from the vent above – or if he _did_, he didn't show it.

Up above, Jimmy and Jenny crouched over the vent grate, looking down into the office. Jimmy had produced a small tape-recorder and had put it down by the grate.

Quite suddenly, there was a flash of light. When it vanished, Queen Vexus was standing in the office.

"Vexus," hissed Jenny.

Jimmy shushed her.

"Ah, Vexus," said Vlad, his tone light, "Sorry to pull you from what I'm sure was a _pressing_ matter, but I'm afraid we have work to do."

"Masters," sneered Vexus, "This had better be good."

"I assure you, it is," nodded Vlad, "_He's_ done it."

There was a long silence.

"Well you're going to have to be a bit more specific," snapped Vexus.

"The Portal is open, Vexus," said Vlad.

There was a long silence.

"So it's time," nodded Vexus.

"We'll meet the Professor up north," added Vlad, "We'll all get what we want soon enough – I'll have Daniel, you'll have Jennifer."

"Creep," whispered Jenny.

* * *

Spongebob and Dani were in another vent, not far away. Below them, Plankton and Crocker were loading crates into a truck in the underground parking lot. To be more precise, Crocker was loading crates while Plankton was providing moral support.

"Ugh!" demanded Plankton, "Why do we even have to do this?"

"Syndicate business," replied Crocker, "If moving boxes gets me closer to the _FAIRES!_, then who am I to complain?"

"More like menial labour," said Plankton, "I mean, come on! Vlad's allowed to look in the boxes! Vexus' allowed to look in the box! Why can't we?"

"What about Calamitous?" asked Crocker.

"Well, he's the one we're sending these to," replied Plankton, "That's what Vlad says, anyway."

There was a brief silence.

"You ever get sick of all this, Crocker?" asked Plankton.

"Yeah," shrugged Crocker, "But I keep going for the vindication. It has to come eventually!"

"Uh-huh," said Plankton, unconvinced, "Just keep packing boxes, Crock-pot."

* * *

Timmy back flipped out of the vent, flubbing the landing and falling on his back. He quickly recovered, walking over to one of the safes in the vault room. The single Guy in White guarding the room was asleep in his chair – he did not stir.

"Alright, we're gonna have to be subtle, guys," he said.

He clicked his fingers.

"Cosmo, I'm gonna need a drill."

"Coming right up!"

There was a poof and a green drill appeared in Timmy's hands. Next to him, Wanda and Poof appeared.

"You sure this is a good idea, sport?" asked Wanda, "I mean, there's a guard right..."

"GiW."

"Good point," nodded Wanda.

Timmy began to drill at the lock. Despite the racket, the GiW operative didn't even respond.

After about a minute, the lock broke open. Timmy opened the safe, expecting to find a document explaining Vlad's destination for tomorrow – instead he found a small, handwritten note. He tilted his head.

"What?"

He took the note and looked over it.

_To the reader,_

_As it turns out, the safest place to hide this from Masters is right under his nose._

_Listen carefully. There is a conspiracy running through all echelons of American society, and they are getting dangerously close to achieving their objectives. If you want to know the truth, go to Site 618, near Dimmsdale, California. You'll find what you need._

_DO NOT TRUST MAJESTIC-12._

_D. F._

"DF?" quizzed Wanda, "Maybe Danny Fenton? Nah, couldn't be..."

"I think it's Dakota Fanning," said Cosmo.

"Cosmo, why would it possibly be..."

"Dorian Fletcher," said Timmy, his eyes wide, "He wrote this."

He looked down at the note again, turning it over to reveal a map. He nodded and turned to his fairies.

"We go there tonight."

* * *

"...remember," finished Vlad, "We'll meet at the compound at 1818 hours tomorrow night. Disguise yourself well. Once we're all together, the Professor will go over the plan."

Vexus nodded, crossing her arms.

"And what of our..._friends?_" she near spat.

"I will deal with our dear friends Mr. Crocker and Plankton myself," replied Vlad, "It is imperative that they do not become involved in the proceedings."

"And why's it so important that we cut them out, Masters?" demanded Vexus.

"Well, I've never liked Plankton," shrugged Vlad, "Not since that Planktopolis stunt. Plus he got dangerously close to the Squarepants idiot during that whole apocalypse business."

"And Crocker?"

"If we told Denzel Crocker what we were doing, the entirety of Dimmsdale would find out in an afternoon," said Vlad, "Subtlety and Crocker do not mix."

Vexus nodded.

"Well then," she declared, "If that's all, I have things to get ready. Until tomorrow, Masters."

There was another flash and she was gone.

"...I must ask Finbarr to make those new teleporters less conspicuous," muttered Vlad, getting up from his desk, "Well, I'd best get to work."

He walked over to the door. He put his hand on the knob, stopped, and turned around.

"Almost forgot."

He aimed his hand at the vent and fired an ectoblast. With a crash, the grate fell – down with it came Jimmy and Jenny.

"Tell me," demanded Vlad, shifting into his Plasmius form, "What exactly are you doing in my vent?"

* * *

Far away from Amity Park and Dimmsdale, a boy sat against a pillar, gazing up at the ceiling of the subterranean lair. Across from him, his sole companion stood over an open fire, holding a frying pan full of bacon over it. Apart from the crackle of flames, everything was a deathly quiet.

The boy was lost in his thoughts and feelings, trying to compartmentalise everything that had happened to him. He had been betrayed, betrayed when the very fate of the world stood in the balance – by his own flesh and blood, no less! Everything he'd ever known about this place had been turned on his head, and he had no idea where to go from here.

As if to break the silence, the man with the frying pan spoke up.

"Okay dude, I've never done this before, but I think I can..."

His hand slipped, and the bacon fell into the fire. There was a somewhat disappointed hiss.

The man stared into the fire for a second. Eventually, he shrugged.

"Pizza it is," he declared.

The boy didn't even respond as his companion walked away to find dinner, continuing to stare at the ceiling. Finally getting bored of the brickwork above him, he looked down again, gazing at a small envelope in his hands. He had found it on his doorstep after the Event (or at least what remained of it), but he'd had no idea who could have delivered it.

On the front, there was a short and simple message.

_Enclosed is an invitation to join the Swollen Eyeball Network._

* * *

AN: And this is about the point where anyone who knows the subject matter of the mystery crossover (or the verbal tics of a certain character) now knows what it is.

If you do get it however, please keep it under your hats. The official reveal will come soon enough...


End file.
